


Take Away the Lonely Days

by Jaetion



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kirkwall (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-14
Updated: 2011-08-14
Packaged: 2017-10-22 15:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/239433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaetion/pseuds/Jaetion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hawke spends some quality time with her sister the only way she knows how: covered in blood and making inappropriate jokes. Very minor Act 1 spoilers.  Title comes from "Cats and Dogs" by the amazing band Head and the Heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Away the Lonely Days

She woke up in phases, the red cloudy world clearing slowly and that awful banging in her head like a ogre in a a room full of bells gradually quieting. "Andraste's flaming _tits_ ," she swore as she struggled up into a sitting, leaning, tilting position. She touched her head gingerly then frowned at the flakes of dried blood on her fingers.

"You're awake!" Bethany grabbed her shoulder and heaved a sigh. "Thank the Maker. I thought I'd be dragging your corpse back to Mother. Next time there's a room full of mercenaries, wait for us before you go barging in, all right?"

"Mm. No promises." She swung her legs around and regretted that movement instantly. She bent forward over her knees and a warm hand pressed on her back. When she managed to look up, it was into Anders' worried face. He looked haggard and his eyes were ringed with shadows. "That bad, huh?"

"Cracked skull," he replied. "Can you follow my finger?" When she passed the test with flying colors, he smiled, actually smiled for once, and for a moment she didn't regret taking a boot to the face, and stood up. "Well, Bethany, I'd say your first healing attempt was a rousing success."

She turned toward her sister in surprise. "You can do healing magic?"

Bethany nodded. "I never thought that I'd be able to do magic like this... Magic to _help_ people. How can the Templars oppose that? But I couldn't have done it without Ser Anders."

He brought over two mugs of steaming tea, and Hawke took hers gratefully. "Just Anders," he corrected.

The sisters shared a look, both raising their dark eyebrows. "First name or last name?" Hawke asked, the tea restoring her good spirits and natural nosiness.

This smile was brief and insincere. "Mages give up all family claims when they join the Circle."

"That's not an answer," she said pointedly. A third smile now, a teasing almost-smirk. Before she could press the issue, Bethany set her mug on the pile of planks the Warden called a bed and stood up.

"We should get back before Mother sends Gamlen out looking for us," she said as she took Hawke by the arm. "Thank you, Se- Anders. For healing my sister. And showing me how to do it myself the next time."

"Next time?" Hawke snorted as she slid to her feet. She stretched to test her limbs and felt Anders' eyes on her as she sauntered by him. At the door she turned around and paused, lingering, leaning against the frame. "Known you for three days and I'm already stopping by at all hours. So how much for the healing lesson?"

He waved the suggestion away. "No charge."

"For the bandages at least."

"I work for you now. Besides, if I start charging you, you won't be able to afford the Deep Roads venture."

She grinned at that. "Then the next round at the Hanging Man is on me. And I'm leaving before you can refuse that, too." As she closed the door and joined her sister, she thought she heard him laugh.

\---

When they reached the illustrious abode of Gamlen Amell, they were surprised to see a weak light in the window, despite the late hour. Hawke reached for her daggerss and behind her she heard the tap of Bethany's staff against the packed dirt of the street. But when she swung the door open, there was just there Mother sitting at the tilting table they used as a desk.

Her silver eyes were hard as blades. "What have you two been doing all night?"

Hawke looked sideways at her sister, who grimaced. Before she'd taken the kick to the skull, they'd been chasing slavers, trying to rescue children before they were sold and shipped away. And there had been mercenaries, and there had been blood in buckets from gaping, aching wounds. And also a couple of bombs tossed for good measure. The less their mother - and the rest of the city - knew, the better. She managed a fair impression of an unconcerned shrug and pulled her lips up into a decent enough smile. "Nothing illegal, anyway."

"I thought you were done with the mercenary work." Their mother sighed as she lay down the quill. She touched her temples wearily, rubbing her forehead to stave off one of the headaches that the Hawke children constantly inflicted on her. "We've been through this a thousand times, Larissa. We don't need the money that badly. I won't have you risking your life and the life of your sister just so-"

"Actually, Mother, I met someone."

The room was silent as a grave. Hawke dropped into one of the chairs Gamlen had managed to keep and busied herself with her boots to try to hide her smile. It wasn't a lie, not really, and it was a nice little trick. She ventured a glance at her sister. Over their mother's shoulder, Bethany gaped and Hawke added coyly, "Right, Sister? Tell Mother about Anders."

Bethany forced out a laugh when Mother swiveled to stare at her. "Uh... He's very nice?"

"You've met some one?" Mother echoed. If she hadn't been sitting down, she may have toppled over. "A man? Who's _not_ trying to kill you?"

"At least I didn't shock you speechless." Hawke fiddled with the laces of her armor. The weight of the leather was heavy on her shoulders, but not painful; Anders had healed the knots and tears in her muscles, too. Thankfully she had never been afflicted with visible blushes, not like Carver had, but she still felt warm at the thought of Anders' hands on her, so she added quickly, "We had a simply lovely night out. And don't worry, Bethany was there the whole time to chaperon."

"I just never thought - I mean, you never seem interested."

"Trust me, Mother," Bethany said, shaking her head, "I'm just as surprised as you are."

\---

"Were you serious?" Bethany asked as they climbed into the rickety tower of beds. "About Anders? About what you said?"

"Mmm." she stared up at the ceiling. There were holes in the plaster and light dribbled through. "Why not? Maybe I'll bring him home to Mother."

"Impress him with the wonders of our estate?" Bethany teased. "Though I guess it'd be an improvement on Darktown."

Hawke laughed. "I'm sure he'd just love this bunk bed."

"You wouldn't!"

"It might wobble, but I'd try my best to make sure it wouldn't collapse on you. Though I bet a mage like him would be wild in the sack. Think he uses that staff for-"

"Not hearing this! I'm not hearing this!"

"Undoing all those buckles... And Maker, those feathers-"

"I hate you forever and I'm never speaking to you again."

Hawke hung over the edge of her bed and grinned upside down at her sister. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see Bethany's grimace. It was really much, much to easy to rile her. But still incredibly satisfying. "Wonder if that Grey Warden stamina-"

The pillow caught her full in the face then dropped to the floor with a thud. She scrambled with her own and chucked it at Bethany, who ducked it as she shrieked with laughter. When one of the neighbors banged on the thin walls and cursed loud enough to wake the mabari, they finally settled down into quieter giggles that blew away the feathers from the ruined pillows.  



End file.
